Railway brake



Aprifl 25, 119% E. J. OREARDON RAILWAY BRAKE Filed Dec. 24, 1947 Patented Apr. 25, 1950 STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to railway brakes and it is a particular object of the invention to provide a brake mechanism wherein the brake at the opposite end portions of the vehicle may be applied with equal pressure on all of the wheels of the vehicle to substantially eliminate flattening of the wheels.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a railway brake wherein the mechanism is so con structed and assembled to provide for the operating of the brake from the center of the car and thus substantially prevent injury to the trainman as often occurs with the type of car having the operating means at an end thereof.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved railway brake whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l i a diagrammatic view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating a railway brake embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale.

illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the car and the general brake mechanism are only diagrammatically illustrated and it is therefore to be understood that the type of both can be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, it only being required that the shoe assembly for each end truck be operable independently of the other.

Each end portion of the vehicle body B at the central portion thereof has pivotally engaged therewith, as at l, the outer extremity of the stem 2, of a lever T. The outer extremity of the stem 2 carries a crosshead providing the oppositely disposed lugs 3 and 4.

The levers T are mounted for up and down swinging movement and the lower lug 3 is operatively engaged as at 5, with a suitable lever 6 comprised in a brake operating mechanism at the adjacent end of the car body B. The second lug has secured thereto, as at i, an extremity end portion of the body B at the top thereof and extending upwardly therefrom.

The second or upstanding lug 14 of the cradle L has operatively engaged therewith, as at l5, an end portion of a chain I6, which extends inwardly of the body B and operatively engages, as at ll, with one of the oppositely disposed rock arms I8, carried by the lower portion of a brake staff [9.

The brake stair l9 has its lower end portion rotatably mounted, as at 2|], upon the top A of the car body B at substantially the axial center thereof.

The base portion of the stafi 19 carries a ratchet wheel 2| with which coacts the ratchet member 22 whereby the staff II is held against return rotation except when desired to effect a release of the brakes.

It is believed to be apparent that the brake mechanisms at the opposite ends of the car body B are simultaneously set and with equal pressure upon the wheels of the car. This is of particular importance and advantage as there is overcome thereby the objectionable features of the brake systems now in use wherein the operating power for the various sets of brake mechanisms are transmitted from one set to the other. In the present invention, the operating strain is imposed directly upon each assembly.

It is also to be pointed out that by having the staff l8 at the central portion of the top of the car body B, the trainman, when operating the brakes, is at a distance remote from either end of the car. This is of advantage as it substantially eliminates any liability of the trainman being thrown off of the car when effecting a coupling as often occurs after nightfall or during heavy storms and especially when a box car is being coupled to a gondola, flat car or kindred low type of rolling stock.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a railway brake constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

In combination with a railway car having a group of track engaging wheels at each of the two ends thereof, a brake mechanism for engagement with the wheels of each group, a rock lever pivotally supported upon the underside of the car at each end for oscillation on a transverse axis, an operative coupling between each lever and the adjacent brake mechanism, a rock lever oscillatably mounted upon the top of the car at each end for turning on an aXis extending transversely of the car, a rigid coupling between each of the first mentioned rock members and the second mentioned rock member positioned thereabove, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted upon the top of the car substantially midway between the ends thereof, a coupling between each of the rock members upon the top of the car and said vertical shaft, a portion of each of said last mentioned couplings being adapted to be wound about said shaft, and releasable latching means for holding said shaft against rotation in one direction.

EARL JEREMIAH OREARDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 230,181 Dwyer July 20, 1880 295,238 Duncan Mar. 18, 1884 770,298 Maguire et a1 Sept. 20, 1904 10 1,739,365 Lancaster Dec. 10, 1929 

